August 31, 2011

Mr. Food is offering a free Crockpot e-Cookbook right now. You have to enter your email address & then you are able to download it. I looked through it & there are a lot of good recipes in there. Plus, you can't beat free!

I am always in search of new & creative breakfast ideas. Sometimes you can just get so burnt out on the typical cold cereal or bacon & eggs kinda breakfast. Last week, I was scouring the fridge for something to make for our ever so important first meal of the day, and all the usuals just didn't seem so appetizing.

That's when I saw it. The pack of prosciutto that I had reserved in the fridge for making Prosciutto & Caramelized Onion Pizza. Could I do something with prosciutto for breakfast?

Light bulb moment!

I tucked the prosciutto inside of a muffin cup, & stuffed it with cheese & an egg. It was such a hit! My husband quickly informed me that this one was definitely a 'make again'.

Here is what you need:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Spray a muffin tin with non stick cooking spray. Fit each cup with one slice of prosciutto. Sprinkle in some mozzarella cheese & some Italian seasoning.

Spray a muffin tin with non stick cooking spray. Fit each cup with one slice of prosciutto. Sprinkle in some mozzarella cheese & some Italian seasoning. Gently crack an egg into each cup. Tuck some mozzarella cheese around the egg yolk, covering the white of the egg. Sprinkle on a little Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, & chopped green onions.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the egg is set. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from the muffin tins. To remove, gently slide a dinner knife around the cup to loosen.

August 27, 2011

I love experimenting in the kitchen. Sometimes it works, sometime it doesn't - and sometimes I am surprised all together at the results.

Not long ago, I set forth in the kitchen to make a homemade candy bar like treat. Not trying to copy any name brand candy bars - my goal was just to make something that was fast, cheap, & tasted good.

I was so surprised when my little homemade candy bar ended up tasting a good bit like Baby Ruths. I mean, they don't look like Baby Ruths. I'm sure they don't have all of the ingredients of a Baby Ruth. But the taste was a lot like them.

So, I introduce to you my (accidental) homemade Baby Ruths. You don't have to call them that - call them whatever you want. Just enjoy them!

Let the mixture cool for a few minutes, then stir in 1/2 cup of the peanuts.

Let the mixture cool for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, chop the other half of the peanuts using either a knife, food processor,or blender.

Using your hands (I like to use disposable gloves - less mess) roll into log shapes. Cover them in the peanut pieces, & place onto a wax paper lined pan. You can also just spoon the candy mixture onto the wax paper instead of rolling into logs to save time.

You can get Nature's Way Organic Coconut Oil, 16 ounce for just $6.20 when you order through subscribe & save. That is a good savings from what you usually see coconut oil listed at. Have you tried it yet? It's a great healthy replacement for other oils...and it's wonderful in baked goods too!

August 23, 2011

When my daughters were toddlers, I told them a fib that actually benefited them, and I intend on telling the same little lie to my son.

A lie that benefits your children you ask? Why, yes. That's what I said.

My kids love cookies, as most children do. So, when they were toddlers, I would cut tomatoes into round slices & tell them they were 'cookies'. My husband just looked at me & laughed with the 'do you really think they're going to buy that one??' look on his face.

Turns out, they did buy it. And, they loved those tomato cookies. They are older now, and they still love tomatoes. Although, they now know they aren't cookies. They often ask for tomato slices for snacks, so we always have them around the kitchen.

They also really love these Baked Parmesan Tomatoes, and they are so easy, they can do it themselves, with supervision of course. My kids think they taste like crustless pizza.